Even after 20 years, the garden moth trap keeps throwing up new species. Waved Black last week and Cydia amplana last night.

We have just hit 500 followers, thanks to all of you. Please spread the word and keep the posts coming.

Job opportunity: Irish Bird Atlas Project Manager BirdWatch Ireland is seeking an enthusiastic and self-motivated individual to lead organisation of the upcoming Bird Atlas 2027-31 across the Republic of Ireland. Closing date 11th Sept. Find out more: birdwatchireland.ie/get-involved...

Re my previous post, I don't need to return to see the adult. I stuck the larvae with its ball of vegetation in a jam jar, and hey presto!

Andy Musgrove@andymus.bsky.social · last mo.

Nothris verbascella is a micro-moth, presumed extinct in Britain til rediscovered in 2024 nr Norwich by Dave Jones. Has only taken me 2 years to (literally) get on my bike and travel the 3 miles to see it. Larvae feed in the cruddy base of Hoary Mullein. Must return to see the adult in a few months.

Following the sad news about Bill Oddie, here's our own little tribute from BUBO Listing bubo.org/bill-oddie.h.... RIP Bill.

Bill Oddie

bubo.org

Here's the full story of what we believe to be the start of the colonisation of yet another new orthopteran to the British Isles.

Team cricket - how we found a cricket new to the British Isles

This following italicised sections were written by Matt Phelps, who first heard this unusual cricket...  I strolled over to Sussex Wildlif...

analternativenaturalhistoryofsussex.blogspot.com

A search for 𝐸𝑟𝑦𝑠𝑖𝑝ℎ𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑖 led me to its British stronghold in Oxfordshire, where I soon found it at Hartslock NR. This high-quality chalk grassland was also the site of my 4,000th species in the British Isles, a day shy of five months after my 3,000th and a couple of days before my 17th birthday.

Sadly there were no takers over the weekend for the freebie Macmillan Guide, so if anyone would like this copy of a still brilliant little guide, ping us a DM or message me here & we can sort it from there. It has a slight rip on the back cover, which I'll sellotape up for free too 😉

The White Falcon@markgolley.bsky.social · 3w ago

Saturday giveaway time! I picked a copy of the (still brilliant) Macmillan Guide to Bird Identification at Cley village fete & like the last time, I want to give this copy to a really keen young birder (18 or under). Drop me a DM - or reply here - & Lynnette will pick a name from a hat. #ukbirding

Great idea. One of the most inspiring books when I was young, then I was lucky enough to get to know Keith in person, then later to employ Alan's daughter! Any young birders need this book.

The White Falcon@markgolley.bsky.social · 3w ago

Saturday giveaway time! I picked a copy of the (still brilliant) Macmillan Guide to Bird Identification at Cley village fete & like the last time, I want to give this copy to a really keen young birder (18 or under). Drop me a DM - or reply here - & Lynnette will pick a name from a hat. #ukbirding

Definitely oblitella. It has various colour forms.

Garden moth-trap last night contained this pyralid. Looks to be a few vaguely similar options - ObsIdentify seems keen on Ancylosis oblitella, which looks feasible? Anyone feel confident enough to say? Might have to try giving it the chop.

Rambur's Pied Shieldbug (Tritomegas sexmaculata), nymphs on Black Horehound at Manningtree this afternoon, perhaps the most northerly record so far? Also, a Hudsonian Godwit (not pictured), a long-overdue world tick for me - will have to visit again at low tide though, to see a bit more activity!

Important for anyone who verifies records on citizenship science websites, not just the ornithologists. @dipteristsforum.bsky.social @royentsoc.bsky.social

Alexander Lees@alexanderlees.bsky.social · 3w ago

Our new commentary rdcu.be/ftx6h in @natecoevo.nature.com written with folks from @inaturalist.bsky.social and @cornellbirds.bsky.social shows that use of AI to manipulate existing or create new wildlife images undermines the huge value of vast citizen science databases. 🌍🪰🪶 #Ornithology 🧵 1/10

Received copies of my book today! Very grateful to the Publishers and Editors for all their efforts towards bringing it to life. I’m very pleased with the end result. #Ichneumonidae #Pimplini #Pimplinae

I keep reading about how the Common House-fly (Musca domestica) is much less common than it used to be. Well it's currently pretty darned common in my house. If anyone wants to twitch it .... well, you can probably find your own to be honest.

We are at Birdfair again but this time I will be selling my book, come find us on Robin 76. Details of what we are up to and when in the blog below. analternativenaturalhistoryofsussex.blogspot.com/2026/07/pan-...

Pan-species Listing at Global Birdfair in 2026

Pan-species Listing is thriving! We've never had more people taking part as we do now, it's a great time to get involved with this worthwhil...

analternativenaturalhistoryofsussex.blogspot.com

Nothris verbascella is a micro-moth, presumed extinct in Britain til rediscovered in 2024 nr Norwich by Dave Jones. Has only taken me 2 years to (literally) get on my bike and travel the 3 miles to see it. Larvae feed in the cruddy base of Hoary Mullein. Must return to see the adult in a few months.

Species 8,635: Balcanocerus larvatus - a recently arrived hopper of fairly distinctive appearance, with thick jet-black stripe down its face. Feeds on Blackthorn. Found near St Albans recently @panspecieslisting.bsky.social

I don't twitch many birds these days, but this is one that has continued to elude me. So a quick dash to Suffolk .... only for it to depart whilst I was on the way. Pah. Nice evening wander around Walberswick though instead. First GG Bush-crickets of the year, alongside range of expected birds

Brian Small@cach22.bsky.social · last mo.

Just arrived home after a late morning appointment and news of the Hudsonian Godwit at Minsmere broke. Managed to see it on west scrape before it flew to south - the first time we saw the underwing... 2 limosa Black-taileds too #ukbirding #suffolkbirding

Regular reviews of the status of different biotic groups are essential for keeping conservation priorities up to date and preventing national extinctions. Natural England have just published such a review for British leaf beetles, by Steve Lane. publications.naturalengland.org.uk/publication/...

A Review of the Status of the Leaf Beetles and allies of Great Britain – Chrysomelidae, Megalopodidae & Orsodacnidae - NECR702

This report was commissioned to update the national threat status of the leaf beetles and their allies in Great Britain, following the previous assessment in 2014 (NECR161 edition 1). The assessments ...

publications.naturalengland.org.uk

Ochsenheimeria taurella is a moth I have seen a few times, always from suction sampling. This one SE Norfolk today. Widened scales on the antennae give it a distinctive look.

This wee fly would appear to be a new species for Britain. I think it's Tetanops sintenisi (family Ulidiidae). Seems to be an east European thing that's spread west and is now widespread in Netherlands. I've got four from a vane trap near Ipswich from May/Jun this year.

My second new moth for the hectad TM29 today, a Yellow-legged Clearwing in the garden which came to a lure. The lure was the one for Orange-tailed Clearwing, however, so not quite the target.

Species 8,618: Metalampra italica (Italian Bark Moth). Found inside the house before I even got down the stairs this morning, as easy a new species gets! Quite widespread in Norfolk now, but looks to be new for my 10km square backwater.

Species 8,617: Canthophorus impressus (Bastard-toadflax Bug), numerous on a patch of its foodplant at Therfield Heath, quite happy at 35 degrees today. Thanks for gen @andysymes.bsky.social @duerden.bsky.social @vannabartlett.bsky.social

Humid night resulted in at least 300/100 moths in the garden trap, plus a load of additional taxa including this rather nice little new bug for me - never previously clocked its existence!

Species 8,613: Stelis odontopyga (Smooth-saddled Dark Bee). Male and female found on the Essex coast last week, and in working them out, have realised that a 2022 specimen of 'breviuscula' was actually also this. First recorded in Britain in 2017, still not many recs www.flickr.com/photos/63075...

Stelis odontopyga (Smooth-saddled Dark Bee)

Very similar to S. phaeoptera and not distinguishable in the field though it averages a little smaller. Under a microscope the female upper propoodeum will be seen to lack any punctures (see photo anc...

flickr.com

Your annual reminder that if you only know one bramble make it Rubus armeniacus Himalayan Giant, the only truly invasive non-native bramble. Discolores (chalk white on leaf undersides), orange-green stems with contrasting red prickles. Huge in all parts. Overtops native communities. #BrambleDuJour